a historic vote at the united nations. it's a step the u.s. is calling unfortunate and counterproductive. new this morning, sex case settled. the former imf chief reaches a deal with the hotel maid who had accused him of rape in a new york hotel room. and stormy surf. they are hanging ten and loving the pineapple express in southern california. but further north, the snow is now being measured in feet. and good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm sunny hostin, in for paula faris. we begin with mystery winners of the biggest powerball payday ever. this morning, we still don't know for sure who will split the $587 million jackpot. >> it's not us, though. but it already looks like we have gotten a glimpse of one of the two winners, just as he

learned the good news himself. abc's tahman bradley joins us from washington with the latest. certainly, this picture tells the story. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: oh, this is remarkable stuff, rob and sunny. now, the lottery officials are tight-lipped. but speculation is growing. a missouri man has come forward. and you're about to see video of another guy at the moment he realizes he's rich. could this man be america's newest multimillionaire? to be clear, the names of the powerball jackpot winners have not been released. but this surveillance video obtained by abc affiliate wjla, from a gas station in upper maryland, shows a construction worker, realizing his life is about to change. the clerk and customers at the exxon station says the man showed them a ticket with all six winning numbers, matching the $587.5 million powerball jackpot. >> he couldn't believe it. he was ecstatic. he wanted everybody to check to see make sure he wasn't seeing things. >> reporter: the man bought the

ticket in arizona. one of the two winning tickets was sold in arizona. >> i heard him say he won. and gave me the ticket. and said, did i really win? >> reporter: lottery officials in the other winning state, missouri, have verified the winner from there. and plan to shed light on the person or persons who won later today. the winning ticket was sold here at trex mart, the only gas station in the farming community of dearborn. >> that's it. >> reporter: residents are eyeing each other. wondering if their neighbor is now rich. >> it would be neat if it was someone here in town, that we know. >> reporter: this man says his father is the winner. >> i got a phone call this morning. and he was almost stoic sounding. it was us. >> reporter: mark hill announced on facebook that he's the winner. but everyone will keep guessing about the missouri and arizona winner until official word from the lottery.

rob and sunny? >> that is incredible. abc's tahman bradley live in washington. thanks, tahman. and there's plenty more powerball coverage coming up on "good morning america." we have live reports from both maryland and missouri, coming up on the show starting at 7:00 eastern time. in other news this morning, president obama will visit a suburban philadelphia toy factory today, hoping to win public support for his plan to avoid that so-called fiscal cliff. but on capitol hill, talks there have pretty much hit an impasse at this point. neither republicans nor democrats seem willing to budge on the issue of tax rates for the wealthy. unless the two sides can reach some kind of deal, spending cuts and also tax hikes will collectively take effect starting january 1st. the clock is ticking. >> it is. the united nations has overwhelmingly approved recognition of a palestinian state, a move staunchly opposed by the u.s. and israel. >> but in the west bank and gaza, palestinians, they celebrated on the streets.

the historic vote upgrades palestine to nonmember nonvoting observer status only. meanwhile, u.s. ambassador, susan rice, she denounced the resolution. saying, quote, it's counterproductive to the goal of mideast peace. >> and the palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little about their lives has changed, save that the prospects of a durable peace have only receded. >> rice added that the u.s. will continue to stand up against every effort that seeks to undermine israel's security. the supreme court justices will meet today to consider taking up the issue of same-sex marriage. seven cases are before them, ranging from california's prop 8 ban, to the right of married same-sex couples to get federal marriage benefits, to the broad issue of whether the constitution protects gay people's right to marry. a decision could be announced

this afternoon. in other news this morning, there are reports of a settlement in a sex scandal that made international headlines. no details just yet on the agreement between former international monetary fund chief, dominick strauss-kahn, and the new york city hotel maid that accused him of sexual assault. prosecutors dropped charges against strauss-kahn. but the incident did end his political career and his marriage. a new study out today urges the federal prison system to grant more early releases to disabled or terminally ill releases for economic and humanitarian reasons. there are about 218,000 federal prisoners. but fewer than one prisoner a year is granted a compassionate release. and caring for a seriously ill prisoner is much more expensive. the american soldier accused of leaking a trove of classified documents to wikileaks will take the stand in military court

again today. yesterday, private first class bradley manning made his first public statements since his arrest two years ago during a pretrial hearing. he wants his case tossed out, saying he suffered unlawful punishment during his first year of detention. weather and those powerful storms pounding the west coast are not letting up this morning. take a look at this. parts of northern california are feeling the brunt of the torrential rain and gusty winds this morning. some areas could see up to 20 inches of rain. >> and higher elevations, get this. they're expecting more than eight feet. yeah, eight feet, of mountain snow. on top of that, flood watches and warnings have been issued, now, from san francisco to southern oregon. and that storm is also kicking up high surf that is crashing down on just about the entire coast of california. they're now seeing the biggest waves of the season. as high as 20 feet. as you see here, surfers in the southern part of the state were, yep, just out there making the

best of it. as for the weather from across the nation, rain and mountain snow extends into the pacific northwest and northern rockies. morning fog and a light drizzle in the l.a. area. rain and snowshowers around northern michigan, green bay and milwaukee. and western new york also gets a wintry mix. >> 40s from new york city to chicago. mostly 70s across the south. 60s from salt lake city to albuquerque. coming up, corporate profits. let's just say, lots of them were pretty good in the third quarter. and we've got news about the hostess bankruptcy. that's coming up in your business news. plus, uh-oh. a watery mess at a watering hole. the details on that bit of wet weirdness, still ahead.

welcome back, everybody. when the government released thursday's gdp report, there was a milestone number in there. u.s. corporate profits hit an all-time high between july and september, rising at an annual rate of 3.5%. the strength was driven by financial companies whose domestic profits rose by more than $71 billion during those three months. potential buyers are lining up to try to acquire hostess brands, maker of twinkies, now that final moves to close the business has been approved in bankruptcy court. 18,000 workers are losing their jobs. but hostess did get court approval to give top executives bonuses, totalling almost $2 million. it's back to the bargaining table today for negotiators trying to end the ongoing strike at the nation's busiest port

system. union workers at the los angeles and long beach harbors walked off the job three days ago, shutting down most of the terminals which actually handle 40% of the country's import trade. union workers claim shippers are outsourcing jobs. and fast food workers walked off the job in new york city thursday calling for higher pay and the right to unionize. many workers make the minimum wage. and they are looking to raise that figure to 15 bucks an hour. and call it a day late and $587 million short, the day after that record powerball jackpot. california lottery officials announce the big game, yep, is coming to that state. >> people from california crossed into arizona and waited in line for hours to get powerball tickets for wednesday's drawing. they'll be able to get them in their own state now beginning in april. >> you consider the population of california.

now, the jackpots will skyrocket to who knows what? >> that's right. welcome. >> welcome to the mayhem, exactly. and thank you. when we come back this morning, a problem for one of the most widely used generic drugs. and close your eyes. stants quarterback drew brees had a problem of his own last night, throwing to the wrong team. low-lights ahead. when it comes to getting my family to eat breakfast, i need all the help i can get. i tell them, "come straight to the table." i say, "it's breakfast time, not playtime." "there's fruit, milk and i'm putting a little nutella on your whole-wheat toast." funny, that last part gets through. [ male announcer ] serving nutella is quick and easy. its great taste comes from a unique combination of simple ingredients like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. okay, plates in the sink, grab your backpacks -- [ male announcer ] nutella. breakfast never tasted this good.

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google voice response: moon is 238,900 miles... mother vo: the great moment had come... ...3...2...1. ♪ she doesn't even though our really get us. and she'll never know who we are, or what... no way, madden girls?? nike! who's your mommy now? famous brands. famously easy. famous footwear. victory is yours. well, it was water, water everywhere on this street in san diego. a commercial truck slammed into a fire hydrant, creating this massive geyser. water shot 30 feet in the air for about 10 minutes before firefighters could eventually shut it off. the truck ended up smashing into the front of a bar. luckily, no one was injured. a watering hole, indeed.

well, now, a look at this morning's road conditions. expect flooded highways around northern california. it will also be wet into seattle, portland and boise. snow-covered mountain passes in the northwest. fog could get in the way of drivers around l.a. and it will be a slick ride around the great lakes. >> and if you're flying today, airport delays are possible in los angeles and in san francisco. well, millions of americans who rely on generic versions of the cholesterol-fighting drug, lipitor, will have to look elsewhere for their medications. >> that's because small pieces of glass have turned up in the pills. here's abc's david kerley. >> reporter: the company that produces more than one in three generic lipitor pills taken in this country has shut down all production. the problem? ranbaxy can't figure out how small glass particles have gotten into its generic pills. the contamination has not led to any patient problems.

but consumers are being told to return their ranbaxy pills and get another brand. generics are popular because of their price. name-brand lipitor costs $4.72 a pill. the ranbaxy pill, just $3.85. this is the latest manufacturing problem for ranbaxy. earlier this year, the u.s. government forbid the company from importing 30 drugs from some of its facilities in india, because of bad record-keeping. >> the company has real difficulties with quality control, not just in one of a couple of its facilities, but in many facilities. >> reporter: even though this is the largest maker of generic lipitor, there are other manufacturers to make up for shortages. david kerley, abc news, washington. former president george w.h. bush. doctors say his condition is not life-threatening. but mr. bush is 88. and he also suffers from a form of parkinson's disease that

makes it difficult for him to walk. the greater boston area must be feeling a little snake-bit. just before noon yesterday, two subway trains collided at the boycen street station. about three dozen people were injured, though. the station was shut down most of the afternoon. but then, as the evening rush was getting under way, a power outage hit cambridge, just outside of beantown. it snarled traffic for hours and crippled the campuses of m.i.t. and harvard. emergency crews had to rescue several people who were stuck inside elevators. but there's some good news here. the power has since been restored. all the major college football conferences hold their championship games this weekend. >> lots of good football this weekend. but last night, it was time for some nfl action. and not a good night for my beloved saints. here is espn. good morning. i'm todd grisham with your "sportscenter" update. atlanta airport workers threw

eggs at the new orleans saints bus before they left the airport. will the falcons be left with egg on their face, as they try to avoid a fifth-straight loss to the saints. i apologize for that horrible analogy. speaking of horrible, what was going on with drew brees? he had a record night for interceptions. that's weatherspoon with a pick. drew brees threw five picks in the georgia dome. he's never thrown that many in a game before. remember, he entered 54-straight games with a touchdown pass. he didn't throw a touchdown, either. atlanta leads 23-13. brees, again, takes off. that wasn't his fault. but this one certainly was. later in the fourth, down ten. trying to get something going. and it's william moore with his second pick of the game. as the falcons can clinch the nfc south, if the buccaneers lose to the broncos this weekend. how about nba?

spurs and heat. gregg popovich decides to rest tony parker, manu ginobili and tim duncan. a bunch of has-beens taking on the defending champions. and they had them on the ropes. that bucket by d. wade. ray allen for three. and it's a 100-98 lead. a chance, now, for the spurs to tie it. gary neal for three. that's off. the heat win it 105-100. that will do it for your look at sports. my name is todd grisham. please have a good day. well, it isn't very often that we get to say, it's the end of an era for soccer here in the u.s. but it's true because tomorrow marks david beckham's final game for the los angeles galaxy. >> he's played six seasons for the team, helping raise the profile for major league soccer to new heights. and he's not saying what's next for him. >> i honestly don't know yet.

you know? i feel very honored, at 37 years old, i'm still having the top clubs come in and want to talk to me. it's kind of amazed me. i came here six years ago. i said that i was committed to being an ambassador for this game and for this league, for this country and for around the world. and that's never going to change. >> beckham's last stand with the galaxy is tomorrow's title game against houston on espn. and up next, "the pulse." bo, the white house dog checks out the new christmas decorations. and don't try this, even if you have the chance. "the pulse," coming up next. for reading and entertainment. your favorite magazines and catalogs look better than ever. and with scrapbooking, you can save the things you love, bring them all together, and be inspired like never before.

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pulse," stories you'll be talking about today. a famous face in a famous house, sniffing out this year's christmas trimmings. >> the white house has released its annual holiday video, showing first dog, bo, checking out his newly-decorated diggs with the obamas nowhere in sight. bo goes room-to-room, until he comes face-to-face with a larger-than-life topiary, made in his likeness. >> it looks like bo won the standoff, ending up with the victory santa hat. and a wealthy man from missouri who won't give his name, visited storm-damaged staten long island and new jersey, handing out $100 bills. >> it earned him lots of hugs and kisses and triggered plenty of tears, as well. the man says it's not about the money. but about the random acts of kindness. well done, sir. >> well done. and check out one of the most daring midair stunts, i think. >> a pilot and a skydiver positioned themselves as close together as possible.

and, whoosh, the plane appears to fly between the skydiver's legs. and how about this maneuver? the skydiver seems to touch down on top of the plane. >> and the most daring stunt, the plane goes into a twisting free fall. and the pilot pulls up, just in time to cross paths with the skydiver as he hits the ground. >> brave souls. >> yes. >> i like it right here on the ground. well, for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with bell ringing. lots and lots of bell ringing, in fact. stay with us. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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power. i'm meteorologist mike nicco. we are on storm watch. second in a series of storms. heaviest rains and wi with a new york hotel maid to settle her charge of sex abuse against him. and finally from us this friday morning, an indiana man is trying to raise bell-ringing to very new heights. pastor billy nichiren has been ringing his hand bell for the salvation army since noon yesterday. his goal is to reach 60-c 60-consecutive hours. >> our reporter meghan schiller, from our abc affiliate, has the details. >> reporter: pastor billy nichiren is a triathlete. but he hopes to add another sport to his list, extreme well

bell-ringing. >> for the most part, i think -- when a child starts going daddy, daddy, daddy. i use that here. >> reporter: his challenge, ring the salvation army's bell nonstop for 60 hours. >> for every hour i ring the bell, i get a five-minute break. when i'm on my break, i'm allowed to eat, drink, if i want to pass out, i can do that. but i have to be back before the end of the break. >> reporter: he called up the salvation army to volunteer, with one simple goal in mind. >> to get involved in the community. and help out those that are less fortunate. that's the main reason i'm here. and i think it's because i'm a little crazy. >> reporter: 60 hours of bell-ringing seems like a very long time because it is. but pastor billy says he's going to use a lot of different techniques, such as, the wrist, the full arm bell swinging, the wheel, and a little twirl action. >> billy is obviously an athlete. but more than that, when you look into his heart, when you talk to billy, you realize he

has a real compassion for the community, for the ministry. and that's something that you just -- you can't replace. >> reporter: so, billy's going to ring away, his next few days, to hopefully meet his goal of raising $5,000. >> i think i'm good to go. i have to take it easy, ring my bell and enjoy the ride. >> he's got to switch hands, though, too. >> and give that man some excedrin for christmas. that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay with us for "good america this morning. >> stay with us for "good morning captioned by closed captioning services, inc. punning rain, gusty winds the bay area is waking up to one of the more powerful storms o